Buying Addis Chisels On Ebay Question

[Joe Beaulieu]

Hey Folks,

I want to learn to carve, and to that end I started watching some Mary May videos and looking for carving tools. I read the whole story on the Addis brothers and their feud and the tools they produced. I like the appeal of old tools, and I think I am getting decent deals buying up ones and twos on EBay - typically paying less than $30 per piece. The tools have a lot of life left in them and its a fun hunt. I may not find them all, but I have about 10 or 12 different pieces so far.

My question is if there have been advances in tool design or construction that makes current day tools inherently better than the approx. 100 year old Addis tools? Is the steel significantly better? There seems to be some appreciation for these older tools, am I crazy to keep doing this? If I compare the cost of a single piece to that of the same tool at Woodcraft (their Pfeil line of gouges) is that a fair comparison? If so I am making out well.

Last question - and I am sure this has been answered on this forum in other threads, but what is the best starter set of tools to purchase? What numbers - is their a standard set that people buy? I see peoples lists of gouges etc and they have several dozen tools typically. What are they and why buy "very" similar tools. Is it feel? Is it each tool has a very specific purpose and as you encounter the need you add the tool to your collection? I suspect that is the case, but I would like to know if I keep buying pieces I don't have, will I eventually start to buy tools I will never use? Anyone have a list of tools that are peripheral at best and I don't need to get? That would be very much appreciated if it is out there.

Whatever advice you can think to provide I would really appreciate. I am new to carving (I have done some chip carving, but relief carving not so much) and I am having a lot of fun. Thanks folks.

Joe

[Mike Henderson]

Carving tools are pushed by hand (usually) so the quality of the steel is not as important as for bench chisels which are pounded on. I would expect that the steel in those chisels is very adequate for carving.

The major problem I see is whether you can find a complete "set" of gouges by Addis. Many old gouge makers had their own standard for the sweep of their gouges so one problem is mixing those old gouges with gouges from other makers, old or new, to make up a "set".

Regarding what to buy first, it depends on what you're going to carve. I can recommend a medium sized V tool for sure. Buy the tools as you need them - which is one advantage of buying new tools - you can simply go to the store and get the next size gouge or the next sweep. When buying old tools, you may have to wait a long time to find the size gouge you need.

I use Pfeil tools, mostly, and have been happy with them.

Mike

[Karl Andersson]

As with Mike, my favorite modern tools are Pfiels; their carving tools have consistently good steel, sharpen well, and don't rust as easily as older steel (I have an unheated shop). They have a couple of medium-size and full-size carving sets that could provide you with a good start, but in my opinion, if you buy more than one set, you'd end up with too many v-tools and flats because they seem to always fill up the set with them. I'd love it if they gave the same volume discount for, say, a set of 20mm gouges in different arcs, but that's a lot more steel in the set. The Mary May articles I've seen show her using a carver's mallet or pushing the chisel, so you wouldn't do well just starting out trying to follow her with palm tools, obviously.

I do have several Addis tools from both brothers, and they are all very good except one large macaroni gouge that has very brittle steel and keeps popping large chunks out of the bevel. One of these days, I'll take the handle off and temper the chisel some more in an oven, see if that helps. That may be a minor problem you see as you amass your collection; maybe some of the tools have a lot of life left because they weren't tempered just right - so learning how to correct that may be something for you to consider (see George Wilson's posts about accurate thermometers and toaster ovens; it doesn't have to be expensive). You may also want to set up to make replacement handles - this opens you up to getting carving tools even cheaper if the handle is broken or missing. My Addis tools all have the older-style tapered octagon boxwood or beech handles, which I prefer to the Pfeil "bulging octagon", and you don't need a lathe to make them, although a jig helps (there was a post in the SMC Neanderthal forum a few years ago showing an easy handle-making jig, plus there are several online tutorials).

Have fun
Karl

[Tom McMahon]

Joe, The following is just my opinion, but it's based on 56 years of carving. I would call a basic set of tools the following list: a medium sized, V tool, double bevel chisel, and double bevel skew chisel. a small, a medium, and a large gouge in a slow, medium and fast sweep, and a small veiner. A good choice for sweeps would be 3,5,7. For the sizes mix them up, in other words don't make all your smalls the same or the mediums or the larges.
I just went out to the shop and counted my tools, I have 194 full sized plus some palm tools. About 50 are modern brands including Pfeil, Taylor, Auriou, Ashley Iles. The rest are old tools including Buck, Addis, Ward, Herring, Maiers. I have probably more very early Buck than any other. They are all good tools but each brand has it's own good and bad points and each has a different feel in the hand. My personal favorites are the Wards and Maiers, but the best V tools are Addis. All the modern V tools have keels that are too wide and require extensive reshaping to put into service. The Taylors are stout and have a heavy feel if you like that. The Aurious are only rough ground and need a lot of work to put into service. The old tools depend on who had them before you. I believe the Ward and Addis take the best edge. The Maiers have a delicate feel. Of all the tools I have there are none that I never use, some I don't use often but when you need them they are there. I have several of certain tools that I will grind for a special purpose for instance I have 10mm 7s ground with different left and right skews, V tools with forward and backward wings.

[Joe Beaulieu]

Folks,

Tremendous information, thank you so much. I had been leery of Pfeil for no good reason except Wooodcraft sells them and I am not a big Woodcraft fan. However I will check out deals for Pfeil, especially on EBay. I am enjoying the hunt for specific sizes. Tom that list is perfect - thank you!

Joe